Anthesis
by gratefulkate
Summary: Life on Bela Vistal is mostly dull, but comfortable. The town's culture revolves around tourism, money and mechanics. There is no room for passion, for life, all except for during Summer Solstice. Somewhere in between, Koreena Kepler almost lost herself, until... Sent personally to knock on her door, Commander Aeridanus Raeder announces her conscription into the Imperial Navy.
1. Sight Of Corellia

Under the heat of the afternoon sun, there was a desolate spot where a young woman sat.

The dirt here was fresh and smelled like spring, a rarity in a paved vacation town. The quiet here allowed her to think, also a rarity in the hustle and bustle, oil and grime. Pushed in between the high mountains, Bela Vistal nestled nowhere particular.

Bela Vistal always represented a strange juxtaposition of strain and relaxation. There was a bizarre mix of tourism, locals, and the militant way of life. Even the trek to her secret spot was spent dodging the gaze of troopers. It was almost like entering behind enemy lines. The analogy wasn't so far-fetched. Someone was always watching. In reality, the woman sought privacy in the warm shade of green. The wind here was always so sweet, enough to make her want to swallow it whole and kiss it.

Koreena Kepler held back a sigh.

Other than tourism, Bela Vistal boasted their elitist specialty in piloting and engineering. Every year, Bela Vistal's sun soaking pilots crossed their limits to the envelope of engineering. It was an era of advancement for the Corellians. Engineering and tinkering was the only worthwhile skill that pleased the Imperials, pleased the tourists, paid bills, made life longer, but mostly paid the bills.

Hot nights came as predicted, bringing flowers of all smells and colors. Soon enough, Corellians would celebrate the Summer Solstice. The death and rebirth of the sun and the endless cycles of life found in the universe. This was the only time of year that Corellians brought their attention to the arts and music. When the nighttime came, Corellian youths would dance on their heels and sweat. Flowers were strung between buildings, making curtains and waving in the wind. Because Corellians felt anonymous in such an immense crowd and celebration, they felt safe throwing away their stubborn values for one night. Maybe to steal a kiss or to find a summertime lover. It was also considered incredibly lucky to have a wedding during the Solstice. As tradition, Corellian brides would wear dark, jade green wedding gowns.

Life returned to normal after the Solstice. The days that came afterwards were hot and long. Life was routine and the smell of fluids while working and sweating in the sun. Life was fixing and renovating something that could be easily adjusted with tools and the right bolts. This was the mechanical day to day, the life of a pilot.

The ambiance of the afternoon eventually tired her snowballing mind. She sat up with an absent look, watching the tops of trees sway. Koreena was looking forward to this year's Solstice.

Was it wrong to want to feel good again?

A stomach growl distracted her from one thousand woes. Back home, a glass of ale and a bowl of stew fruit waited and cooled. Koreena smiled at a favorite childhood thought, when her mother would warn about Lord Nyax, a popular tale to keep the young ones in line. "Lord Nyax has been terrifying the Valley in the East, so if you don't eat your stew fruit..."

You're gonna get it, kid.

...

After dinner, Koreena nursed her bottle of ale in bed, where she found the darkness to be more comforting than bright lights and distractions. The dark was easy on her eyes and tired soul. After a long day, she just wanted to put herself out for good. Starlight filtered into her room, little dots winking purposefully.

The three moons were suspended blue marbles, slowly making their way across the dark canvas. On nights like this, her bedroom walls glowed like the shallow depths of an ocean.

Koreena ignored their beauty tonight. They would only make her succumb to her wanderlust. Sometimes, she imagined what it was like to be a space traveler. A star sailor. But, her brain couldn't encompass everything. Up there, in that black, there was no direction or right way or wrong way. Just endless, black sea. Wild space. She just didn't want to think about it with stewfruit digesting.

In reality, another day of repetition was coming. Koreena squeezed her pillow and have it a good throw, as if she was playing sphere toss at the dive bar. She could have made a hole in one with that kind of throw.

Everything felt so absurd when she got up to retrieve her pillow. She took another swig of ale, letting the taste saturate her lips.

Just for once, Koreena wouldn't mind being able to sleep in.

She fantasized about the light of the sun eventually waking her from the dreamworld. It would feel good just to be lazy. Tomorrow was another day, another routine to starve her heart.

Koreena fell back into bed, apologizing to her pillow. She would save her crying for another day.


	2. The Crux Of Captain Raeder

"These people," explained Moff Keller, "want to see me hung from a post."

The visual scan showed a sea of people, at least a few thousand who gathered for the protest. It was impossible to see it as any sort of immediate threat. They raised their fists into the wind and felt secure in their unity.

They lived, asking for no war, their soul still loyal to a separate idea. One that the Empire would suffocate.

The bridge was filled with the dim light of blue dusk while they lingered in the upper atmosphere. From the ground, they were a traveling star. Captain Aeridanus Raeder bowed his head, a cool sweat beginning near his temples. Moff Keller's exclamation was just noise, it was asinine, for everyone has the right to live.

"These are just civilians, sir. I don't see any military presence down there. Lieutenant Kerrington, assemble a battalion of riot-control troops and have them set weapons for stun-"

"No!" The Moff hissed, "I want them _dead_. They are seeking to destroy the government that I have worked so hard to manage. I will not allow this, Captain Raeder!"

Captain Aeridanus Raeder retorted, "You want me to kill innocent men, women and children? With all due respect, sir, this is completely asinine. They're not even brandishing weapons."

" _Raeder, you will_ suppress this gang of traitors gathering in _my_ streets. This isn't a request, a query, or a suggestion. This is not something that is discussion or to be negotiated, this is an _order_!" The short, furious Moff Keller was on his tip-toes shrieking.

Raeder strode towards him, hostility in his expression. He bared a threatening row of pointed teeth in a look of disgust. The Moff took a half-step in recoil as the Captain pointed towards him.

"Innocent people. I will not fire on them."

The command bridge was silent. Those who could not pry their eyes from the vital stations had their ears burning.

"Under my marshal order, you are hereby demoted to second lieutenant, _Lieutenant Raeder_."

"I will not fire on these people," Raeder's pronunciation was cold.

"If you don't eliminate these people by landing your ship on top of them and vaporizing them with your turbolasers, I will make sure that you suffer a traitor's death. Your friends and family will suffer worse." Moff Keller confidently flexed his power. His arms folded with what felt like triumph. It was a solid victory.

Raeder twisted his brows and his face flushed purple. His fists balled so tightly that his nails broke the skin on his palms.

Quietly, he ordered his crew to descend from the stratosphere.

"Fire, Lieutenant Raeder, fire on them!" The impatient Moff barked.

"Lieutenant Kerrington. Have all ventral batteries target and fire."

The cold consumed him. Somehow, his lips worked in conjunction to make words. He once heard a saying- that truth gets better with age. His head was heavy with exhaustion, wrapped up in a phenomenon that he could not explain. What the hell even just happened?

All of his grandiose ideas, fantasies and expectations came crashing down like glass. As he soundlessly made his way to find somewhere to be alone, there was a pain that blossomed from his chest. It was an ache that pulsed through the galaxy like a dull rhythm.

He could not control the fire and he felt almost afraid that he would burn himself.

It was only a short matter of time before Aeridanus Raeder would be brought to 'justice' for his insubordination.

...

Admiral Piett and Grand Moff Vizer did not as much flinch to help the struggling Moff Keller. He fell to a pathetic lump on the cold floor. In the shadows, the reflection of light warped against armor.

In the dark there was breathing which broke into a smooth, mechanical voice, "You have grown power hungry and have exceeded your duties and usefulness."

The shadow was flanked by his dedicated officers.

"I sense much anger in you, young Raeder. You would be wise to apply this energy towards your next task," He shifted his stance, coming closer, "The Emperor has seen fit to award you with a chance to redeem yourself. You will be dispatched to the Corellian System. You will receive instructions on a need-to-know basis. Is that clear?"

Raeder bowed, "Yes, my Lord." He masked an anticipative sensation.

Interstellar gas lingering in the distance poured it's color into the room, saturating everything like wine. A ray of light from the birth of a new star was shining against the top of his boot.

"I sense something great deep inside of you, Raeder, and so has the Emperor. If you are successful, the Empire may have a more important use for you. Many more officers could learn more from your chivalry and honor. The deaths of those Imperial citizens were unfortunate. Do not fail me, Commander Raeder."

Admiral Piett looked slightly taken back. Darth Vader broke the semi-circle of officers and and strode away with his black cloak whipping at the ends.

Grand Moff Vizer gave a venomous glare before he stormed away.

A strange quiet followed, in which Admiral Piett surveyed Raeder and signaled for the bridge guards to dispose of yet another body.

"Congratulations, Commander." There may have been more words at the tip of his tongue, but they dissipated into the quiet.

Raeder snapped his heels and gave a curt bow of Imperial salute. Admiral Piett returned about his duties.


	3. Bela Vistal

Commander Raeder and his fleet exited hyperspace right on schedule. He happily chirped this fact while striding across the bridge. From the corner of his eyes, the physical machinations of the crew members in the twin bridge were in motion. His heeled boots clacked smartly down the armored halls as he and Lieutenant Kerrington strode to his shuttle.

"Mmm, I've seen this before. Simple repetition to climb into good graces. You know, Corellia is a sweet tempest. They make a good Triple Light..." Kerrington's thoughts trailed away. He already had a search team assembled and ready to disembark. All Kerrington could think of was getting his hands around a bottle of Corellian Triple Light when this nerf chase was over.

Raeder gave a toothy smirk, "Bad taste."

Kerrington later countered by shutting the shuttle hatch on Raeder's precious fuchsia cloak.

...

While they sailed to the new world, stormtroopers conversed quietly and checked for faults in their gear.

A voice called, "I grew up here before I enlisted."

Lieutenant Kerrington gave a knowing smile, "Another local?"

The trooper introduced himself with his low, rumbly voice, "Sergeant Kilso, TH417 at your service. Who are we looking for, Commander?"

A pair of flanking TIE fighters came along the cruising Lambda shuttle, escorting them through the upper atmosphere.

"To my knowledge, we're looking for a person," Commander Raeder responded so dryly and devoid of emotion that only Kerrington could decipher the sinister sarcasm, "Other than that, it is need-to-know basis. We'll find out more information when I retrieve the file."

Raeder loathed bureaucracy.

Kilso saluted the Commander, "Your orders, sir."

He turned to the troopers, "Alright gentlemen, we are here to assist Commander Raeder in securing a person of interest for the Empire. Set your weapons to stun and under no circumstances do I want to see a blaster bolt zipping through the air. Unless you are being engaged by hostile forces, stun only, or I will personally rip your arms off like a Gundark. Understood?"

Raeder and Kerrington returned the salute.

"Sargent, wait here and take this commlink." Kerrington handed one to Kilso, "Wait here until we call you and your men. I don't want to upset the locals by bringing so many armed troopers into the streets. We don't want to upset the natural flow of things."

They duo went to the Intelligence block, proceeding through the maze-like terminal building.

"How do you know Kilso?" Raeder glanced back.

"We don't actually know each other," explained Kerrington, "Corellians are individualists more than anything and very independent. Like they say, you can't have two Corellians sitting at the same bar together, otherwise they'll sit on the opposite sides of the room. It's more of a brotherly comradeship of being from the same home, more than anything, sir."

A sour looking secretary peered at them beneath the brim of his hat.

"Good afternoon," Raeder addressed him cordially, "I'm Commander Raeder and this is Lieutenant Kerrington. We're here to receive a file on a person of interest, who we are to acquire."

The secretary scrutinized the pair, "Just a moment, sir..." he nasally trailed off. "Ah, here we are. It appears you are tasked with the acquisition of a person of interest in Bela Vistal..."

Raeder waited for the obvious to pass.

"The file has been uploaded to your scanner, Commander. Please view this information away from the public eye. Failure is not an option. Thank you, Commander." He professionally finished with his poorly-hidden sourness and returned to his office machinations.

"That took way too long," He quipped venomously.

"Agreed," Kerrington shared his sentiment with distaste, "Who is the subject?"

Raeder sighed, "A pilot. We've been sent all the bloody way out here for some pilot?"

They began down the alley, passing mosaics and turquoise water fountains, "A pilot, working for her father who owns a business taking tourists on a T-14..."

What could the Empire want with such common people?

"So be it. I'll make her an offer she can't refuse," Raeder droned ominously.

He rapped hard upon the residential door, "Imperial Inquisition, please open the door."


	4. Conscript

Koreena was lost in her thoughts again on the walk home. She carried a bag of spice loaf.

She wasn't stupid enough to believe that Bela Vistal would take a personal interest in her piloting talent or writing. They were grooming her for another generation on money makers and tourist pleasers. She'd go home, turn on the holoprojector and watch another episode of _Cooking Corellian._ Later, if she was lucky, _Dark Romance_ would come on and she'd call it a night. One of the more popular holoseries yet to date, it featured a dark haired sort of black prince who could see into the future. His name was Artimis and it was so dreamy. Whatever. Koreena could spy the later heart break from a mile away.

She wondered how many others watched late at night, cloaking themselves from their own guilty pleasures with their eyes glued to their holograms...

...

"There is an old family story that has circulated for ages. It is rather silly," Vana Kepler took a deep breath, making the room quiet again, "A member in the family was once named after a telescope, an ancient thing, really." Sweat began to bead on the back of her neck, displaying a smile towards Lieutenant Kerrington, as he was the easiest one to look at.

She tried to look at the other one- she really had tried. It took an actual extent of concentration. The heavens above, he was a terrifying person. She wasn't quite sure if he was a person. An index finger curled above her upper lip. She saw the bars and ranks against his chest.

Koreena's father was propelling himself with all due speed, out of breath by the time he reached the front door,

"Koreena, sweetheart. There's men here. They just want to talk to you. I don't know what it is. They won't budge. All work and no play type... the Imperials. They're just... here." He shook his head.

Reality tinged the outer edges of Koreena's vision, "Imperials?" She sounded far away. Legitimate questions came. Even if she had the courage to speak, she could not explain herself. What was there to explain? Rather, what would they want to hear?

"That's a little unusual. But, they're always like this. I can just talk to them and we'll show them the way out." She shifted the bag of spice loaf into her father's hand.

At the present moment, Koreena considered running into the T-14 Skyhopper and taking off to go around Corellia, excluding the part about coming back. She didn't want to have to think, or admit that she would have to gather the courage to speak in front of them. Koreena went unaccompanied, knowing that the world was ending. Like a solider in combat, she threw her bare shoulders back and elongated her stride. If she had known her very important person status, she would have choked from laughter.

Koreena forgot to breathe and her heart didn't beat. Her cheeks were dying coals. The room inside was chilled and as a result of wearing only a thin Neo-Imperial styled bandeau, her skin rose with goosebumps. Wearing such little clothing was optimal in the sun, with sweat going everywhere.

The texture between the naked room and the gold Corellina skin was the only interesting contrast.

She felt like she was nude in a room full of mirrors. A thousand eyes all reflecting the worst, all silent judgements and imagined hostilities.

"Hopefully you weren't bored to tears, our people can be kind of long winded." Koreena glanced down at an untouched cup of tea, assuming her mother placed it there. She hooked the handle into her fingers with a girlish finesse. The pair seemed weary, sharp and intelligent. She tried to focus on the tallest one, but couldn't dare herself to meet his gaze. She focused on a fold below his neck, anchored her eyes on the symmetrical fold of the uniform. She wondered at the exaggerated magnificence of the Imperial presence enjoying tea at Kepler's Skyhopper Tours.

"Right. I'm Commander Raeder and this is Senior Lieutenant Kerrington. We're on official business in the name of the Empire." Commander Raeder studied the air of the girl.

He held the datapad and recited the words firmly, "In the name of the Imperial Government and the Emperor, you are hereby selected for the honorable and glorious duty of serving in the name of the Empire. Koreena Kepler, henceforth you are to report to Commander Aeridanus Raeder and you are to become a pilot in the grand Imperial Navy. Commander Raeder will escort you to your designation in the 235th TIE fighter squadron." Raeder paused for precious breath, "They're _forcing_ a conscript onto us?"

Kerrington was equally as quizzical, "Mmm, seems that way, sir."

Commander Raeder folded his arms, swooping to confront Koreena, "Do you think you could impress me?"

She didn't have time to recompose herself.

She met a rather unpredictable gaze, which she believed to be beautiful. Studying the flecks of royal purple, she saw the colors cascaded like dripping, colored marble. Her lips parted open when she looked over unusual features. From the same beauty she witnessed, there was also needle pointed teeth that may or may not have eaten girls her size for breakfast. Koreena erased the image from her mind for not, but not permanently, as she did not want to let her guard down to become a breakfast delicacy.

His face and oddly tall ears haunted her vision as she focused at a familiar crack in the tiling on the floor. There was poorly disguised reluctance in his voice while his face was flushed with frustration. Commander Raeder didn't have the decency to mask it.

He saw again and again, she was to be conscripted, trained and placed under his command. He didn't want the responsibility, nor the headache of a not-so inclined underling. If she wanted to be in the Navy, she could have enlisted on her own accord.

"Sir, it appears that your penance is to be made through overseeing Miss... Miss Kepler." Kerrington quickly recalled the name so as not to be rude in her presence.

Raeder scrutinized her intensely, searching for any kind of debilitating disease or mental illness.

Koreena could only think of teeth- the motions of them gnashing on human flesh of girls was so nauseating, she hadn't realized the teacup was no longer in her hand. The good china shattered into a hundred pieces, a larger fragment landing on top of Raeder's polished boot.

Koreena granted herself the shock, both from his offensive words and alien appearance. She would remember her subsequent actions with a tinge of pride and incredulously met his gaze.

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge by appearance, if I were you." It was too late. Koreena's temper was vexed.

The Commander was lucky she dropped the teacup. It would have done a better job smashed against his face. What a shame she hadn't. Her cheeks and forehead were burning drunk with embarrassment. Inevitably, she casted off an abundance of problems to her weary mother, who pretended not to hear the good china break. That was the least of their problems.

Before anyone could come to the heated situation, the triangular cabin to the Skyhopper was shut tight.

In the quiet room, Vana Kepler came in for one last time, in vain to protect her daughter from further damage, "Well, I pledge she flies better than her father ever has..."


	5. Solitude

"Mmm," Kerrington broke the fuming silence, "That went well."

"Why, what a lovely positive outlook you seem to have, Lieutenant," Raeder hissed poisonously. The Commander brought the Commlink to his chin, "Sargent Kilso, shack up. We'll be in the city for the night. We'll meet you at the shuttle tomorrow morning. I'l have further instructions for you then." It was pointless to keep idle troops waiting for nothing.

"Copy. Good hunting, Commander."

"I think it's time for a drink," Raeder growled in defeat.

...

Koreena remembered her subsequent actions with the tinge of pride.

When not taking a personal interest in someone's talent, the Imperials found ways to pass hot, lethargic days by soaking up cool air inside of small businesses. From then on, troopers would intimidate entrepreneurs with frivolous violations and borderline misdemeanors that most Corellians danced around on a daily basis.

Koreena rushed away from her home hamlet and handled the Skyhopper as far as she could, up to where the tall trees began to push up from the valley land. Foot traffic here was rare, save for few Corellians who enjoyed long hikes and training their hound. Koreena found that on weekdays, no one from Bela Vistal had the luxury to take off from work and explore these parts.

She originally found no-name lake during one of her tides of unstoppable melancholy. Having called the place simply by "no-name lake", the name stuck.

Too stubborn to admit she was a veteran of disappearing and evading her problems, Koreena ran to her placid no-name lake to listen to the birds and watch Corellian grass snakes slither by. Anything but face the reality of everything.

She was still dizzy from that too recent encounter.

She pushed her hands through the air, as if wiping away an invisible image of the gray faced Imperial horror (who ate girls like her for breakfast).

Koreena sat down in soft sand.

Years of sweating bullets around Imperial scum, finding ways to co-exist and feigning ignorance was hard work... she found it's reward distasteful. Years of avoidance was countered and benefitted as some congratulatory missive on acceptance into their warped world. It was just tragical enough to be comical. The Empire sent a black prince with polished boots, a person- rather alien- who would never appreciate or see the irony in Koreena's situation. This peculiar alien was no different than the twelve year old boy, Tye, who had lived in the next business over, before it they went bankrupt.

When they were children, he would pull on Koreena's long pony tails while proclaiming, "Girls like you can't pilot! Your legs will never be long enough- how would you reach anything? You'd crash. _Boooooooom!_ "

After years of this aggravation, she finally rebutted by chopping her hair short to prove the gravity of her seriousness and crossed her arms to the boy,"My legs will get longer and now I don't have to worry about any hair flying around in my face when I work with my Dad. Not that you'd understand the hard work that I do, Tye!" Even after their business closed down, Koreena did not regret her words. Even the day that they were moving, with boxes piled to their windows, little Koreena stuck her tongue out for as long as possible at Tye.

Still, she was nauseous at the comparison and found it hard to believe that the Empire's finest was comparable to a little boy who use to pull on her pony tails. Her mother had been right all this time. Intergalactic boys were no different than the boy next door.

…

When the light was dying and when the first moon was half way above, Koreena opened the front door that Aeridanus Raeder had knocked on, several of hours ago. Her mother and father did not hear the sound over their scrape-

" _-punched his teeth out!_ " Roland Kepler had been proclaiming with his fist in the air.

When their daughter came in, a pause fell.

"I apologize for the length of time I stayed out for, not for the reason I left." Koreena joined the far end of the table.

Her father was elated at her charming reply, "You bet, sweetheart. Those guys were out of their mind to come here and talk to you in that tone of voice. I love your mother, she ushered them out like the tough broad she is!"

Vana yelped with laughter after chasing away the pinch underneath the table.

Koreena ignored this, "Did they come back?"

There was a pause before her father swallowed his food, "They didn't. Maybe they must have known you were still out. They'll be back tomorrow."

His hands came together, fingers folding across his mouth.

"I have seen this day coming in the past, Koreena. Look where we live… the Imperials have been watching you fly since you were a little girl and they can put together that you have an at least solid 10 years under your belt. You are also a Corellian rarity, sweetie. It's in your blood. Your Mom has good blood in the family and so did mine. And you grew up to be so beautiful. Those Imperial blood suckers are attached to your good luck and hard work and that hair of yours because they need more of those values, bad."

Something heavy lifted on Koreena's shoulders, "I _do_ realize that running anywhere on Corellia would barely help my cause, even if I can fly faster to somewhere than they can. But, I have been wondering… what it would be like _up_ there."

Koreena's mother looked at her daughter sideways with a well acquainted smile while her husband grew red. He reverted back into an argumentative mode and nearly shouted, " **No if's and's or but's, Missy! There is no way in hell my daughter is going to outer space with some shark-faced fin freak!"**

"He's probably rich," Koreena offered suggestively with an eyebrow raise.

Not to her surprise, her mother nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, rich…" adding dreamily.

Koreena's father was not going to have this, " _Oh no_ , you will not encourage our daughter to leave our planet with some… who knows what! Koreena, heaven's sake, I taught you to make money through hard work."

"It is hard work to get a rich guy, that's the problem, love," The wife quipped smartly.

The full discussion eventually ended with laughter, despite Koreena's note of "doing what she thought would be best". In the midst of the laughter and some tears, Koreena's mother placed a delicate hand on top of her husband's, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

…

Too drunk to admire the thousands of stars and lucky 3 moons, Koreena somehow came to the conclusion that she was the unluckiest girl in Corellia. Now all of her problems was topped with an Imperial alien from the cosmos who trampled on her self esteem. She couldn't tell which was worse- him or the alcohol. If she was going to be fair, she made the choice to start drinking, so it wasn't entirely the alcohol's fault. This nonsense battle waged on as she floundered her way back home. A deep pulse in her brain was preparing for the inevitable hangover.

If Commander Raeder had never knocked on her door, she may have never knew there was such a thing as people who had ears that looked like fins. Her steps became heavier and her ankles felt numb. Somewhere, a hound whimpered in the nighttide.

 _Why didn't she run?_

It was a bizarre thought. Reaching out to hold onto a building corner, Koreena watched the world spin in front of her. There was no one stopping her from running, flying away… why was she now questioning her mental stability, drunk with the smell of hops still thick on her breath?

Stray pieces of hair wafted to her face, catching on her dry lips.

 _Why… was it just easier to comply?_

Her epiphany went unfinished- a growling stomach and an uneven pathway made her realize she needed bed more than she wanted it. She was desperate for distraction from her thoughts. No amount of alcohol would produce an answer that she was looking for. Her overall mentality was blunted like an old, useless knife.

She went down the road, walking as if she were balancing on a rope, hundreds of miles in the air, in an ancient old circus act.

When she got home, everything was peaceful. All was well. Through the open windows, the fountain outside trickled cool water. When she closed the front door, the slant of moonlight disappeared, leaving her to feel her way to the bedroom. Her fingers traced the sides of the walls with some familiar expertise.

Her bedroom was coated underneath the blue incandesce. Shutting her door, Koreena exhausted her reserve energy while undressing. Falling into a cradle of relief, pulling cool covers to her shoulders, she lay still in the silence. She was too drunk and too lazy to undress. Using what little natural light there was from the moons, she found the switch on the holograph behind her head. A soothing and agreeable voice breathed, filling the empty spaces in the crevices of the bedroom. It was an unknown and comforting narration:

" _... And in the trembling blue-green of the sky_

 _A moon, worn as if it had been a shell_

 _Washed by the time's waters as they rose and fell_

 _About the stars and broke in days and years"_

This was undoubtedly an old verse, not heard by many viewers at this eleventh-hour.

It was a poem. About unrequited love? Waiting for love? Maybe about what love does to the soul after an eternity?

Tiny galaxies swirled in Koreena's eyes before she fell into a short, dreamless sleep.

...

While coming into existence again, the white brilliance coming from the mid-morning sky filtered through Koreena's eyelashes. For a passing moment, a fraction of a prism appeared in the pools of spring colors. When she closed her eyes, the image of the morning was still burnt into her vision. Tufts of white cloud whirled in an enticing breeze. When they passed through the sun, their interiors turned a dark gray.

The smell of an old remedy came wafting through the crack in her door. _What time was it…?_

A voice on her holopad was announcing: "Time now for _Life on Tatoonie! Life on Tatoonie_ is brought to viewers by everywhere in hopes that our own lives may be uplifted by the comparison and…"

She knew her mother was up making a sour tea, typically enjoyed the morning after heavy drinking. Somehow, mothers always knew. Koreena tried to lift herself, sensing how heavy her arms and head felt. Her hair and pillow smelled like smoke and her deep breath seeped with booze.

Before facing the day, she needed to cleanse herself from her obvious trail. She didn't want to know how easy ale was. How much better it made life, or how much better it made life because it got blunted. She unconsciously made her way into the shower, spending a majority of the time letting the steaming water turn her neck and back a shade of pink.

She turned the water off, standing with goosebumps.

They were coming back.

Cascades of water trails dripped in between her legs.

They were coming and she would give them hell. That was her father talking, mixed in with a bit of her mother's feminine ingenuity.

Koreena, moving slowly, arrived in the kitchen later than expected.

Her mother chuckled at the absurdity of all recent events, her daughter came in wearing an infamous old dress, one which was slit to her thigh, "Whose heart are you going to go crush this early? Your father worried himself sick last night. You know, your father always said that dress made me look like I was about to conquer every man's world."

Koreena lifted the black dress with her hand, making her way to make a cup of the miracle tea, "They'll find me again on Corellia. Well, I was out last night making my rounds. I passed the Naughty Nebula. Don't worry, I didn't go in… I know what you think about that place. But, seriously, have you ever seen the amount of beautiful starfighters parked…" She was stopped midway by an embrace. Tangled in her mother's grasp, she found it hard to breathe.

"Please promise me that you will use your head. I seem to have more faith in you than your father does sometimes. Will you tell us when you are safe?"

A weakened smile reached Koreena's lips, "I promise all of it."


	6. Naughty Nebula

She would be taken away in a timeless style. Why not? A thick side slit in the dress moved side to side with the positioning of her legs. Perfect for catching fish in the Naughty Nebula. In a Neo-Imperial styled knapsack, (Koreena thought this style was an excuse to add more buckles for more credits) she counted what she considered her most prized possessions.

There was the holopad, her green dress for special occasions (they have those in space, right?), her plush hound named Lucky, her brush, and a few other meaningful accessories that made the bag bulge. She tested the flimsy buckles with tight tugs.

She was about to embark somewhere far away, where she would need to remind herself, time and time again, that her soul was not damned for interminable purgatory. Gazing at her gray knapsack, she reasoned to the terms.

She would be trained in the navy, not dragged to the fourth circle of hell. Even though she was nearly convinced this particular situation really did feel similar to the fourth circle of hell…

Hooking the knapsack on one arm was the grand finale. There was no time for admiring the secretive corners of the bedroom she had loved and wasted away so many hours in. She couldn't even check in the mirror to confirm the dress really wasn't showing off too much leg. She would guide herself through this alive. Before leaving the room behind for maybe all of eternity, her lungs filled with the domestic smell of sleep, mid afternoon sunlight, the odor of girl, books- it was a good smell. One that she would later try so hard to conjure in her forgetful memory during times of strife.

Walking gave her the time to busy in rapt contemplation. Judgement at the Naughty Nebula was quick to be served. Damsels in distress with ruined make-up frequented, bringing their intergalactic problems with them. Bringing their emotional upheaval, they came alone to seduce some of the grimiest looking scoundrels, simply just for a _good time_. Essentially, Koreena was about to attempt the same feat.

The plaza was quiet, tourists still rolling in dark hotel rooms, holding their heavy heads.

She corrected her posture, engaging herself in stretching towards the sky and heightening her shoulder blades. The wind would bring great gusts around crossways and play with the hem of the dress. When she reached the sandy lot outside of the Naughty Nebula, she avoided gazing in the direction of a red and metallic silver bullet. Her heart jumped at the sight and to keep herself from getting too excited, her gaze remained ahead- focused. Like a horse wearing blinders, she only went straight. From across the lot, the wind tumbled and made the fabric hug her from behind. She hadn't the time to pull the dress loose- the more form fitting, the better. She tried not to feel unnatural.

The double doors of the Naughty Nebula were always propped open, to allow fresh air and sun to filter out the production of incessant smoke. When she arrived in the doorway, the pin light highlighted her figure, undoubtedly catching tired traveler eyes. She waited on the inside, lingering near the doorway. Her eyes were midway between the floor and bar. Could she do this?

The folk in the Naughty Nebula reclined in their chairs heavily, looking as if their spot was a usual residence.

There was a man in the corner who had a nameless attraction, something which had told Koreena he would be a fine target. His cigarette was unlit, rolling lazily on his lips. His presence made everything almost ominous. Big men like him liked to have responsibility. She came over, elongating her exposed leg before withdrawing the gray knapsack for him to see- "Can I keep this over by you for safe keeping?"

He had taken off his shades, to soak up the dainty vixen who had breezed in by the saint of circumstances himself. Her kind was an absolute rarity. No baggage, fresh eyes. Virgin. This was the kind of girl he'd beg to fuck ten ways till Sunday. The faint light caught his penetrating eyes- Koreena tried not to feel so faint hearted. His eyes were rampant with ill intent and abusive humor.

"As long as I can buy you a honey blonde." The suggestion was imploring for her company, "Stay with me. What's your name?" He needed to know if it was a nice name- one that would roll from the tip of his tongue. If she hadn't been so entranced with such a dicey plan, she may have had the time to react and feel flush reach her neck from such an intimate introduction. _Stay with me._ Starting from this point on, Koreena understood that the ball was now in her court. It was time to initiate flirtation to woo the potential owner of the dazzling, star cruising mustang outside. She did not know if this desperate dumbbell was the owner, but it was a good shot in the dark- he may have looked just bad enough.

…

"She's not here, is she, Mrs. Kepler?" Commander Aeridanus Raeder interjected coolly. He interrupting her polite, obvious stalling.

Clearly the baby bird left the nest. The mother couldn't help but shrink and crumble before the silently sympathetic Commander. Her head remained low and bowed before the Imperials.

"Worry not," he gently cooed in a strangely firm, but soothing manner, "We will find her."

"S-Sir?!", Kerrington hurriedly chased after the long-striding Raeder.

"I have a feeling where she is."

Kerrington knew that when Raeder had these sort of "feelings" that he was mostly correct.

"You clearly know more than I do."

Kerrington knew that when Raeder had these sort of "feelings" that he was mostly correct.

"The Naughty Nebula," he growled lowly back to him. He was annoyed now. And rightly so. Kerrington almost said something but opted to clamp a hand over mouth and mask it with a cough instead. He'd never hear the end of it if he mentioned he even knew of the Naughty Nebula.

A younger Kerrington and his brother often used fake ID's to get in and get drinks and see the sights. Nevertheless, Raeder followed an eerie pre-determined path. There was no way, Kerrington reasoned, that he had been there before. How the hell did he know where to go?

The thick silence between them was soon punctured by Kerrington bumping into his commander with a soft "Oomph."

"Ngh, pay attention. We're here… A rebel fighter…?!" Raeder's pointed ears opened widely in surprise. His cheeks flushed purple. He quickly wheeled his head back to the entrance of the dark and dank hole-in-the-wall.

E _verything inside was too uncertain._ Koreena's forehead was scorching with unease.

She knew that she had lept without looking in any of the proper directions, now, she was in a man's world- a limbo of booze, cigarettes and tits and legs. Could she live up to it? She looked at this man, a disinterested beauty with massive hands. He took the cigarette from his lips.

"I'm Koreena," her honesty made her feel stiff, "Er, maybe a water would be best for now. Isn't it kind of early."

He grunted- such a cryptic reply.

There followed an incomprehensible hiatus in conversation as Koreena inched her way into the booth, setting the knapsack on the sticky floor. During this quiet, her confidence dwindled and rekindled in waves. He did not introduce himself, "Early?" He entertained the thought, "I wouldn't know. So, a water?"

Using the darkness to her advantage, Koreena masked her curiosity. A starhopper never knew the time. Visualising the end result of her thought process made her feel woozy. In boundless space, this man, with the cigarette still in his lips. A rogue wanderer who was hungry for womanly companionship after days blurring into perpetual dark world. She tried to envision him encased in the alloy compartment, itching the stubble on his face, starved for land under his feet just so he could light his cigarette and take the first drag on a new world.

Koreena's face was shaded. Her eyes adjusted and dilated in the patch of shadow- a towering, almost lanky person came in with a friend. Koreena could have sworn her legs turned to lead.

She smelled tobacco and looked at the rogue star traveller. He finally lit his cigarette and did not remark on the unusual entrance until smoke stopped filtering through his nostrils.

"These Imperials think they can go where ever they want. Don't you think it's disgusting?" He growled, sounding tired. He seemed accustomed to their flamboyant entrances.

Koreena, at this point, was obliged to reply, "I a-agree."

Commander Aeridanus Raeder was making a bee-line towards her.

She had lied about her legs feeling like lead earlier. Now, they felt like pounds of brick, lead, alloy, some of the heaviest materials in the universe were invisible and cemented to her.

Both of the Imperials sported a look that equated to disbelief and shock. They both looked at each other, clearly sputtering for the words that wouldn't come.

"Mi-Miss Kepler…", Kerrington gawked at the black dress.

Raeder's eyes quickly swept over her, not stopping in any particular place. She was a dainty tempest in cohorts with the wrong people.

"You do realize this can be considered fleeing and evading conscription, correct?" He once again enforced this decently dry threat onto her.

Koreena would have admitted she was feeling confident around her new star-traveling boyfriend. How unfortunate that it was going to be so short lived.

She gave a proud giggle to the Commander, making his ears flush to his skull and cheeks rapidly change color.

Kerrington on the other hand- "Aha, yes, Miss Kepler, right. We have to ask you to come with us. Yesterday we were very lenient but today we have a schedule."

Raeder's and Kerrington's attention were both intently kept to her.

This did not sit well with the rogue traveler. He rose and clapped a heavy, broad hand on Raeder's slim shoulder.

"You guys must be new slugs here. Let me tell you something. I own this joint and I don't like Imperials in here. Even when they have the coin."

He grinned. His breath, raunchy and smokey.

"And I can say," Raeder shot back, looking him straight in the eyes. "That we won't be here long. We're here on official Imperial business. If any damages are incurred you will be compensated."

Raeder received an even tighter squeeze that locked him into place beneath the owners grasp. His faced, looming high above Raeder's horns, even, laughed in the shadows. "I don't think you understand. _We don't like your kind around here."_

His hand began to visibly quake as he tried to resolve the situation.

"Sir," Raeder hissed in an icy tone, "I don't think _you_ understand. We're here to retrieve one Miss K. Kepler. If you wish to continue impeding Imperial business I'm afraid I'm going to have to refer your complaints to my secretary."

The larger man laughed harshly, bellowing out his raspy, coughing laugh amongst the din of a few others. "Oh yeah? Your boyfriend here? He your secretary?"

"No, sir. My five-finger secretary."

Koreena, lingering in the background, raised her gaze with pure amusement.

It was a bar fight at it's finest. Raeder's fist landed into the star traveler, pushing the wind from his belly.

Kerrington hopped to his feet, reminded of the older days when he and his brother would stand back-to-back during brawls.

"I think you've upset the locals…"

Kerrington hovered his hand over his blaster, "Stay back, the lot of you! This is official Imperial business, go back to your drinks!"

Raeder's hand was levitating above his own blaster like an old pistol-slinging slugthrower from lore.

"Miss Kepler!" Kerrington was the one facing the direction of Koreena, "Seek cover this instant and do not stray away this time, or you will be punished!"

"Oh, dear…" It was all she could manage, her cheeks deepening crimson.

Koreena hadn't honestly meant to break any hearts. She wasn't planning on Commander Raeder being vaporized into dust.

The throng of angered travelers and booze-belchers crashed like a wave. With the two Imperial officers sucked into the foray that Raeder caused, Koreena was left defenseless, forgotten.

It was perfect.

Before she knew it, the room was drowning in testosterone. Koreena's mother had been right- her old, black dress was undoubtedly a heartbreaker dress. She looked beyond Kerrington, watching the exaggerated scene unfold- _all of this over her?_ She couldn't help but to feel as if she was watching the newest afternoon drama holoseries.

Everyone displayed a sign of degenerating senses. She bore into Kerrington's soft eyes. She privately returned the gaze- _I'm sorry_.

…Maybe.

She would have never imagined an Imperial throwing the first swing. She may have encouraged this entire ordeal. In a brief respite, Koreena surveyed her surroundings- the gray knapsack slumped to it's side, patiently waiting. She explored her options, realizing this may have been her only exit.

Slinging the backpack through her arm, gathering the deepest breath for her lungs, she went for it. Her mother would have been proud. She went and ran, the black dress like a shadow in the commotion at the Naughty Nebula.


	7. Starhopper

_The red striped mustang was her's and it cut through the atmosphere like a hot knife, dividing the air with it's sharp wings- the pilot having no intentions on returning anytime soon._ Koreena's ankles shook with hysteria and her hands steered the vessel into the stratosphere now, nearly at a 75 degree angle, making a berserk escape. She had made it and may have gotten two Imperials killed in the process. She hoped not, even the gray one was handsome.

She pulled her dress to her thighs so that the hems would not rip while in flight.

"This thing is what the Skyhopper should have always been," She breathed in between, fighting the disequilibrium and shakiness from the spinning hues of blues around her. Forcing her shaking leg to let off of the roll pedal, she found relief in knowing that the X-wing was not actually uncontrollable. Hot plasma was burning against the cockpit windows.

 _"Where would you like to go?"_ A rectangular screen came to life with Cerulean, simple font. ...The X-wing talked?

Koreena shook her head and looked above. She wasn't entirely companionless. Though the charming chirps from above sounded miffed, she was ecstatic at the company.

"Oh, hello! Please, just take me away from this place. We'll go somewhere where they will never find us. Do trust me, anywhere is better than here." Everything outside now flowed like an inky black depth that had no end.

"What is your name? I'm Koreena."

Vacant space was darker than obsidian and as overwhelming as ocean water, sinking the X-wing underneath it's infinite weight. While space in the view of her bedroom window had an end, which was usually marked by the frames of the window, the world itself had no boundary, no horizons. Here, only the titanium frames kept her secure from the vacuum. Even in her wildest dreams, such feats as flying among the stars seemed impossible.

The entirety of Corellia was floating in a bathtub full of this black and star stuff. She didn't dare crane her head to look back- to try and peek behind wirings for a heart breaking and distracting view. Behind her, somewhere hundreds and thousands of miles away, was a brawl in Bela Vistal.

 _"My first owner named me Rowdy."_ New words appeared on the translator.

Rowdy. Just her and Rowdy. The white of Koreena's eyes shown as she looked above her, or below her, or to her side- who knew? She felt nauseous at the confusion. She was no longer an expert playing in a Skyhopper, using the terrain as a playground. Now, she was only a girl, frightened and angry, unaccustomed to space.

She was here- now what? There was no bedroom to stomp off to and hide in. She would have very honestly admitted she undermined the comparison of being a boat without a harbor while on Corellia.

At least, now, she was on a boat with an astromech named Rowdy.

n the midst of her anguish, a nervous grin wracked her lips. She was _here_ , where ever that was. She had to go _there,_ or somewhere else. Suddenly, she longed for dirt underneath her feet, with the world's clouds and sky above. The only place she truly wanted to return to- was home.

When asked what she recalled from her first escape to the beyond, this monumental experience, Koreena would only remember the hard knot in the pit of her stomach.

At this present moment, she thirsted only for the next safest place to go. She would follow familiarity. Koreena forced her eyes open once more, willing her body out of despair's oblivion. She woke herself from the stupor.

 _"_ ** _Checking the coordinates on the Navicomp will help you make your decision._** _"_ These words were now bolded. Perhaps the astromech did not have much patience...

She rallied what courage she had- "If Han Solo traveled through Hyperspace so many times in all of the holoseries, so can I. Corellians can do anything in things that floats and goes fast."

The dark interior was becoming less ominous, the controls seemingly simple, or at least recognizable. It really was like a Skyhopper. As her eyes adjusted, she saw that the glowing numbers and lights were soothing. The glass vessel was almost like a bedroom, in the sense that it was dark.

Her modest hand dipped into a sapphire light. She rested her palm against the silver dial on the Navicomp. "I'll be damned," Koreena breathed as she looked through an orderly list, "That guy has Tatooine on his coordinates, but hell if I know where it drops me off at." She envisioned the pod races, gambling, heavy drinks and new foods. Men racing…

Her excitement dropped.

" _Tatoonie is a rotten place_ ," Complained Rowdy, " _Hot and barren- desert._ "

Koreena tried to visualize this, "But a desert would be perfect to hide my tracks in. Who would ever search a desert?"

She looked at the Navicomp again- "30,000 light years?"

" _Going at 65 million times more than the speed of light, it will be a 4 hour trip._ " Rowdy dutifully announced.

The math still simmered in Koreena's mind. Her heart beat faster and faster at the revelation that she would be thrusting herself into Hyperspace like the adept and handsome Han Solo. If she left the Imperials in her dust for a 4 hour trip, she felt inclined to believe they could never keep up such a long route to look for her. What was she to them when she left in Hyperspace?

A series of anticipatory images of impending disaster fluttered in her eyes- the coordinates were mislabeled and did not lead to Tatoonie. The hyper drive fails mid-trip and lands her into empty space. Or worse, hyperspace leads to instantaneous death in a terrifying accident by an unknown object.

Christ, anything but the unknown. Koreena cuffed the bracelet on her wrist- the touch comforted her.

" _You may find convenience in knowing I have traveled on 110 hyper lanes. The Corellian Run is a well traveled route_."

Though the astromech did not have a voice, Koreena heeded Rowdy's psyche. The blue words were reassuring in this cold world. He was the only friend she had for now.

"Let's… let's do it."

Her companion trilled a succession of clicks, but the translation screen remained blank. Koreena swallowed, fighting a lump inside of her throat. Her hand pressed against the dial, confirming the route to Tatoonie.

"I can do this. Anyone can," She whispered.

On the small screen, a milky white path appeared. This wispy route dripped pass planets and constellations- a digitalized canvas of only a tiny fraction of the universe which ended near the Arkanis Sector label. The image was comforting.

Her finger tapped, idle in the quiet in the cockpit, prior to the sound of controls locking simultaneously into place. The pitch and roll pedals locked, becoming useless hard levers of metal underneath her feet. The metallic sound of them locking made her hold her breath. Her hands clenched the alloy near her sides, turning her knuckles white. _Koreena loathed nothing more than not being in control._

Rowdy cruised the X-wing farther from Corellia's pull- farther so that the gentle and welcoming blue light from behind faded, making the cockpit shadowy. They had stopped moving. Koreena had to place a hand against her chest to confirm that her heart hadn't either.

Her head pushed back into the seat from an invisible force. The wind was sucked from her lungs when the X-wing seemed to slowly lurch forward. The motions had appeared to be slow, but Koreena hadn't been sure, as the pressure against her had felt like one ton. She tried reassuring herself that this was not the end. Her vision was blurring, or had it been the world around her? She felt the incredible power generated by the trust engines, suddenly throwing them pass lights that stretched by for miles, dizzying and also magnificently bright. These streaks began to turn colors, some which she swore that she had never seen in her life. The X-wing began it's 30,000 light year getaway, which almost would have been successful, if Koreena hadn't publicly broadcasted the coordinates to the Imperial ships, several of miles away behind them.

…

 _If someone had been there to explain to Koreena that she no longer physically existed in the Universe, she may have succumbed and fainted from absolute terror._ Though, safe in the X-wing's bubble, she gaped at the hypnotising colors, trying to rack her brain for the words to describe how alluring, calming and beautiful they were. When this novelty passed, the question still remained, what would she do for 4 hours? Her music player could not find any stations, and her hologram was dead. Koreena racked through her full knapsack, frantically pulling aside items to confirm that her hound Lucky, was indeed safe and had made it through the trip. Reaching for the hound, she brought him close to her chin. Feeling the soft material against her face comforted her.

Her lingering thoughts were still focused heavily on the unknown. Too much could go wronge. What if she was to die? Koreena's legs were beginning to feel heavy. They fell asleep with pins and needles.

She would have to wait. And if she was going to die, she would rather die asleep. She would not know any better if her and Lucky had blasted against an asteroid or star or…

The serene colors seemed to console her and comfort otherwise. Maybe she would not die. She would reach Tatoonie and celebrate the first day on a new planet. Maybe she would find a hotel and try all sorts of exotic foods and new booze that tickled her nose and would watch men race around the terrain all day… all day.

…

 _She woke with a hot sun blistering her eyelids._ When the bright world came to view, she felt that Lucky was still tucked away underneath her chin. She may have drooled on him a little bit.

 _"Ugh…"_ The sun was so bright, so dominant and definitely establishing that this was no longer space, or hyperspace. She had either died and was in another plane, or she had made it to Tatoonie. She touched Lucky, her cheeks, her hair and blinked. She had lived!

"Rowdy! Are we here?! Oh god, I have to pee!" She placed her hound Lucky deep into the backpack, promising that she would be back soon. She did not wait to read Rowdy's reply. She flung herself from the X-wing, only to have the scorching air greet her.

 _"_ Man, welcome to Tatoonie. Rowdy was right. What a shit hole." She ducked underneath the wing, cornering herself and squatting in what little shade it offered. "Rowdy, no peeking!"

While she finally sought relief, she squinted at this place- desert. Rowdy had been right. Hot and barren- nothing. No food, no vendors, no crowd welcoming her to this great place. Her expectations fell greatly. No handsome men racing around this dump. She longed for Bela Vistal, maybe even the Naughty Nebula. No, she could not revert to wanting to go back to that place. That had been four hours ago.

She wondered what had happened to Kerrington and his friend. Somewhere, deep inside, she hoped that they had survived to tell the tale of the most epic bar fight in history.

She looked at the sky, wanting to curse it, instead a sound escaped her dry lips, "... Ooh! Two suns! Wow, that explains why it's so hot. Two suns! I should have known that! Why don't they mention this sort of thing on the holoseries?!"

Letting her dress fall to her ankles again, Koreena caught a glimpse of something that was not natural to the rock canyon that towered above the flat land. An immense curving building watched over this place, the outside looking rusted and weathered from the sun. Enormous windows wrapped around, the sunlight shining through them. Koreena's eyes glistened in the hot afternoon. She could not ask for a better place to hide than an abandoned desert palace. Well, the place hardly looked like royalty. Still, she would declare herself the Queen Of This Hot Dump, not a very charming title.

She would rule the empty desert and stick her tongue out from one of the windows when and if the Imperials showed up. It was every girl's dream, now a reality.

Something like that.


	8. Tatooine Palace

The journey to her desert palace had quickly turned into a tiring trek. The brother or sister suns made everything wretched, especially any sort of physical activity. She sweat profusely, feeling her hair matted to her forehead and the back of her neck. She kept moving the hair, trying to keep some sort of air flow when there was none. By the time she found a beaten path that led to the towers, she even surprised herself that she had made it this far. She was now beginning to worry that she would never again find the X-wing. When she looked to her left, there was a rock. To her right, another rock. All of the rocks looked the same. There was no distinguishing landmarks about this place. She figured maybe one rock looked like it may of had a funny face on it, or perhaps if her eyes were fooling here, there was some sort of old foot prints, not far off from the path. Still, determined she went on, until she came to the largest tower's rock carved stairwell.

"What a place," She breathed, "Wonder who the heck made this way out here. Why…" She shouldn't talk anymore. Her body was beginning to feel clammy.

When she reached the top, she was drenched in a thin layer of sweat. Badly wanting to lounge in the shade of the tower, she pushed against the door. It was locked! Or so old, it wasn't going to budge without a bit of man power behind it… or Koreena power. She was ready to bash her hip against the door until an unpleasant but curious voice stopped her: "Stop that will you! You don't need to make a racket, I see you standing there! Just hold on, hold on…"

Koreena froze in bewilderment. Who saw her standing there?

Before she could spy any sort of surveillance devices, the left door ripped open. A pink faced, pink eyes alien blinked. He looked down and up at her, then remarked, "You are beautiful! At least, they will think so. Not as used up, you know what I mean? Come in, come in. Love to see you, yes, come in. This will be a good day for me."

The building inside was open with abstract contours and long halls. She was told to follow him, away from the doors that closed away the light of day behind them.

...

 _When directed to a large chamber, with a large audience, Koreena made the scholarly observation that the palace was indeed, not abandoned._ It was alive with aliens and music and t'bac, nudity, spice, gambling, and a rather large slug. This slug sat all too comfortably on a stone dais, surrounded by fatigued and over worked women.

The girl- she was a girl, barely looking old enough to have a drink at the cantina.

If her nerves were showing, and he was certain they were, this girl had a strong grace not to mention it. She stepped forward to a patch of light that fell against the floor. In this light, she seemed less sophisticated. There was something unpredictable but sincerely innocent to her demeanor.

"My name is Koreena," She spoke strongly in order to carry her voice, "I came from Corellia and have never been on another planet- or traveled alone in space. Well, I just did travel for the first time. I apologize for stumbling on your home… it looked abandoned from the outside. I think I made an honest mistake, and I do apologize…" She stopped in order to prevent repeating herself. Her heart was jumping into her throat. Pain began to radiate from her breastbones- the tightness crushing her.

"A Corellian Princess," The gelatinous one charmed, "How did you find this place?"

She seemed to recover gracefully, despite the tremor in her voice. She watched him bring a hookah hose closer to his mouth.

"I… I stole an X-wing and went to Tatoonie because I had seen it done on a Holoseries."

Laughter rung from the hall. A few eyes gazed on, widely, in amazement.

Koreena pressed on, "The coordinates were already on the navigation computer… I didn't know where it actually lead to! I can leave if that is just fine. I just thought I could get help."

He looked- no tricks, no blasters, no hand weapons.

The hookah hose fell from his grip, "Put her in chains."

Koreena felt the roof of her mouth dry like she had swallowed a handful of sand.

"…Wha?" If she knew she had evaded a dance with a beast below her, she would have never objectified.

She wasn't accustomed to being touched. Against her will, sharp nails scraped the back of her neck, provoking a shriek.

The peculiar humor of his eyes brightened with something unreadable. When a heavy weight clamped against her neck, the white of Koreena's eyes showed. This must have been staged. Her hands grabbed onto the collar. Frustration blurred her vision, thickened her throat.

"Fortuna, bring her to my side."

"Yes, master."

Koreena could not make words come. The alien holding her, wrapped his razor like black nails around her arm. With a forceful tug, he brought her closer, like walking a stubborn pet.

His rancid breath was warm on her shoulders, "Learn quick, youngling. Go where you are told. Please Jabba and Jabba will keep you alive."

...

 _When night arrived, Koreena's joints ached after hours of sprawling against the filthy, cool floor._ Over the duration of the day, she was forced to stay in the dark and depraved company of Jabba's crowd, and had watched the suns disappear as the hours went on. The smell of spiced t'bac was always heavy- for the duration of the day, her eyes watered. She did not dare to cough.

She remembered the various pains and intricacies of an underground Empire. Pressing the back of her hands against her eyes, she rubbed her forehead and bridge of her nose. She could not alleviate herself from the day's events. The images still stung.

To pass the time in this dark chamber, she awakened the afternoon to her imagination again. Clear as day, she had returned to the hot daytime, with Jabba, Fortuna, and…

"I'm Rissy," As soon as the attention was taken off of them, the other slave girl who had witnessed Koreena's entrance, came crawling to introduce herself, "Listen… I'll be able to help you. I think if you just watch what I do, you'll do just fine. Hey, have you ever had any slick? You're gonna need that."

"Slick?" Koreena had never heard of whatever slick was. Her face contorted at the name alone.

With the wave of someone's unidentifiable hand, the inflated Jabba was delighted to listen to unwind with the four man jatz band. They played their instruments as if it were any other night in Bela Vistal.

"Now, this is entertainment," He mused, "Rissy! Come dance. In front of me, so I can see."

Koreena felt her cheeks burn red- "Dance? Are they serious?!" Her voice cracked quietly.

Rissy rolled her eyes, but relished confidently with her new friend, "Just watch. He will treat you pretty good if you just dance like me!"

The round faced alien followed obediently to the exact spot he had motioned to. She rattled her hips and teased her curves, only to feel her rhythm falling apart…

At first, Koreena felt rather pathetic and lame watching the scene. She was not as nearly amused as Jabba, who was smoking from his hookah again.

"Rissy," He droned her name, "You've lost your figure. I'm afraid it doesn't excite me as much as it did yesterday- Aha-ha-ha-ha!"

When Koreena looked again, Rissy was gone. Her eyes widened when she first inspected the enormous hole that appeared in the floor. The tile had parted to expose this deep pit. Shadow covered the bottom. Where the floor had went, Koreena hadn't a clue. To her, it was a magician's trick. The disturbing sounds of bones fracturing and snapping made her feel ill for the remainder of the day. When she edged inches closer, with a deep interest that even disturbed herself, Koreena watched the girl writhe in pain. Rissy's wails injured more than her eardrums.

She felt her heart break and sink like a stone.

Koreena's elbow shook underneath the commotion, where an inhumane, desperate sound came from the pit and made everything rumble. From the depths came a mammoth with impressive limbs, with impressive talons.

Koreena wouldn't cry. Biting her bottom lip, she looked away from the pit and anchored her gaze on anything- the design of tile, a freckle on her leg- anything but the horrific scene. There was a final scream until more twisting and tearing followed. Underneath the moody swings of the jatz band, this monster she had seen feasted on flesh, licking the meat off of Rissy's bones so that they shown white.

For the remainder of the day, Koreena fought waves of nausea and courses of perspiration that covered even the smallest creases. Beneath the shadow of Jabba's huge body, she remained as still as a statue, in fear of the rancor.

….

 _At night, when the audiences seemed to gravitate towards a lower stairwell by the largest alcove, Koreena was once again led to another place by the slumped Fortuna._

He walked her, swinging the chain like a jump rope sometimes, so that the chain strained her. She had survived the first day.

"You will sleep down here…" He instructed calmly. His pink eyes glistened in the blackness.

It was dark and impossible to tell where he had lead her. It was a dark, dank place which reeked, "Sometimes you will get food about this hour. Sometimes you won't," The majordomo seemed to shrug, "It depends on Jabba's mood, see? And now, he is going to be preoccupied for the rest of the evening." She guessed that was another way to explain there would be no food.

In the dark, he dropped the chain and the weight fell onto the moist ground… "And watch out for the guards, they like to get rowdy when they're bored at night. Sleep tight."

She watched his intensive, burning gaze become dimmer as he stepped back, looking like distant stars. Her ears strained to listen for his footsteps to disappear. This farewell seemed more like a warning and the more Koreena thought about it, the moving shadows made her jump more frequently. She barely moved, owed to the heavy sounds the chain made. Here she was now, sitting, thinking and reliving memories that made her feel sick.

And here she was now. Looking, listening in the dark, until something scraped in a corner and made her blood curl.

Widening her eyes like search beams, Koreena was able to make out an awaking figure who stretched.

"Who are you?" The voice was undoubtedly feminine and Koreena followed it.

"I'm Koreena. I came from Corellia and stole an x-wing because the Imperials wanted to bring me into some sort of fighting… squad. I ended up here." The hard to believe story again.

After allowing some time for the story to marinate, the girl replied, "That's tough. By the way, I love your name- it's very pretty. Just call me Sephi. If the Imperials really wanted ya, they'd bust down the doors of this place. Think you're important enough?"

Koreena thought for a minute, "I… don't think so." She sounded disheartened.

Sephi's figure shrugged, "That figures. So, this was your first day here?"

The pair huddled together in the same desolate and damp corner. Koreena revealed Rissy's death, explained the disgusting feats that had occurred throughout the day and almost went on for longer than anticipated. Sephi stopped her, "Wait, girl, did you just tell me you have an X-wing?! Outside of this place?" She flung her hands onto Koreena's shoulders, shaking sense into her new friend.

In the midst of this realization, Koreena simmered, "...But, how do I get out? This place is huge…"

Her newest friend stood fully, bringing her up with a tug on the arm, "Come this way. We gotta bust out of here!"

It wasn't the brightest idea. Carrying a chain in her hand for such a long time made the weight feel heavier and heavier. The rust made her hands smell metallic as they sweat. Her other sweating hand gripped Sephi's for dear life. With wide eyes, they went stumbling over uneven floor while avoiding sounds of cryptic footsteps- some that were closer than what she would have liked to imagine. They stepped in puddles of God knew what, holding back miffed sighs and leaving fingernail marks in their partner's hand.

They reached a rounded room with stucco walls with intricate designs. The room was drafted in such a fashion that it would resemble an old, desert home. A single open window was pouring out a light so brilliant and sparkling, it may have been reflection from snow. When Koreena looked closer, she could see that it was the desert sand, reflecting light from the moon and making everything beautiful.

Koreena tapped Sephi's shouder- she would go first. Eager to be the first one through that window and making a straightaway to the X-wing would set her free again. She sucked the dry air through her teeth. Barefoot and brassy, she leapt to the ledge of the window. What she hadn't expected was the wall of jagged, black desert rock, directly underneath of the window.

Disappointment and astonishment pumped through her veins. The jump would break her bones like Rissy's had. She would surely die. These images made her feverish. Almost losing her balance, Koreena felt the chains drop from her hand.

"Stephi, it's a no-go…"

"What's a no-go? You brat." The response wasn't from Stephi.

Too slow to react, she was pulled from the window ledge and onto the floor, bruising her shoulders and feeling immense pain in her back. She gasped for air as the chain was tugged on with such a savage brutality. She was treated like an animal who had gone mad, the collar making the delicate skin on her neck raw and turn purple.

All words had fell from her lips. Stephi was no longer here, instead, the pink eyed majordomo had returned for some vicious play. To her own curiosity, she found herself receiving his hand. She took it and wearily stood- tired. The fight in her was gone.

"I told you to sleep tight," The horrible face explained as he led her back into the dark, cool depths, "Meaning don't move. Now, I have a fun story to tell Jabba- your failed attempted escape. So, rest! For he will more than likely kill you somehow tomorrow. If you try to escape again, I will have the guards beat you until the morning."

Left alone, Koreena's head spun bitterly at the thought of the rancor. She was going to die tomorrow. A deep sob erupted from her chest and blossomed to her throat. Her chest burned, her eyes burned, her heart burned with tremendous pain. Stephi was nowhere to be found- she did not return.

Her cry split the air bitterly. Great upheavals left her heart whimpering throughout this infinite, last night.


	9. Perilous Princess

When told of the news about her escape, Jabba's golden eyes sparkled with amusement, not surprise. He had foreseen this outcome from the redhead. "She will not try to escape again after being chained like the dog she is. Take her for a walk outside," He explained, "If she is still alive, take her back after sundown, ha-ha!"

She would not be seeing the rancor. Koreena could not divert the look of relief in her expression. Her red, tired eyes smiled for the first time. Going for a hot walk in the desert would be like a walk in the park compared to encountering the rancor.

Once again, the majordomo had her following his lead. He whistled poorly and motioned to her- "Here girl, here. Be a good girl and come with me."

Good girl. She wanted to laugh, but did not have the energy.

Frantic to escape the tango with death, Koreena kept close to his side. They went down a single winding dirt road, leading to the flat land of sand and away from the shade of the rocky canyon.

Koreena's brows puckered. She hadn't expected this sort of punishment. Rusted from sun, sand and weather, an ancient attachment had been hammered away in a boulder, and was waiting patiently for it's next visitor.

Her eyes squeezed tightly when her collar secured into this entrapment- the majordomo, with all of his black humor, allowed her perhaps a foot of chain to move with.

The voice in her head forced her to stay in this place: better this than the rancor, better this than the rancor…

She repeated these words until the majordomo turned to leave, then stopped himself, "How stupid of me! I forgot! Jabba's orders." Produced from his hand was a silver knife. Koreena nearly screamed at the sight, but held her fear with tightly cradled arms as he tore the dress on her back. She looked at nothing in particular with a scorn written on her face.

 _…Really?_

The majordomo paid no attention to her nudity- not interested in this sort of thing, he cursed the suns and quietly noting he "…Might return later if remembered…"

Her eyes cracked open to survey the surroundings, trying to spot out any familiar scenery she remembered from yesterday. It was early and the air still retained some of the night time coolness. Shadows still lay like designs zig zagging across the landscape. Koreena plunged her feet as deep as they could go, underneath the shadow of the boulder. When the second sun inched higher and higher in the sky, this shadow would be soaked up by the light…

The light, taking everything with it.

As the time passed and the air heated, becoming more stale and dusty, Koreena consumed some energy to test the chain's strength. Walking as far out as she could, she strained to try and pull it from the rock. Nothing budged. After catching her breath, she tried another tactic. Propping her foot against the rock, she exerted most of her strength trying to search for any crevice that would loosen. As she pulled, the baking texture on the rock burned the surface of her foot.

"Damn!" Koreena huffed, defeated and out of breath. Using her energy would only expedite her demise. The collar around her neck was heating, ready and waiting to brand her neck as if she were cattle.

Intolerable pain erupted urgently from her scorched feet in the afternoon. How much longer… could she survive? She occasionally opened her eyes, but primarily kept them squeezed tight, as she was afraid the intense reflection from the sand would cause her to go blind. She figured her eyes would have burned out faster staring at the sun-scorched flatland than looking directly into the suns themselves.

She could not look at the sky, nor sand, or herself. Her golden skin charred from the powerful suns- orange and red orbs igniting this place like hell itself. In the corner of her gaze, she saw her breasts had burnt like the color maroon. Almost weeping, she turned to face her back against the harsh suns. If she had enough vigor left, should would have let it all out with bitter tears. When she tried, nothing came from her eyes. Licking her lips, she felt the canyons of dry skin, beginning to split apart.

By the time both suns were at their highest point, a hallucinatory flicker of silver shown in the sand. Seeing the glimmer of the X-wing waiting, Koreena tried the chain's strength once again.

"Rowdy, help…" It was the first time she had spoken in hours. Her voice cracked, feeble and barely audible. _Is that me…?_

Fragments of scenes flooded her senses- for how long, she did not know, she fell into a deep, dream like state. Visions of the toothy Raeder, Kerrington, her mother and father, even Rowdy, all danced in her head.

Regret was not enough of a punishment for escaping the Imperials. Everything felt like an eternity.

…

When she felt life stir again, it was nearly sun down and her arms were covered in tiny bumps. Stirring with a shiver, she was unable to tell whether it was still sweltering, or if she had been placed inside an ice box.

"Alive! No one has ever survived this rock! I'm surprised you didn't find the skeleton on the other side. Well, that is unusual…" She heard the voice, but her vision danced between the sky and earth. She could not find who spoke to her. "But you are in terrible shape, I must say… burnt like a crisp. I'm sure it will fade into tan someday, if you really are Corellian like Jabba said…" The collar unhooked from the boulder. She did not feel the weight of the metal fall onto the ground. A march back to the iron, desert palace took ages as the voice rambled and raved about things that did not reach her ears. Her legs felt like rubber and glue. What strength she used for the return, she did not know where she had found it.

"I will be surprised myself if he lets you still live! Burnt like a crisp, burnt like a crisp. What a shame. He will probably say 'What a waste of a woman!'. Well, that's what those suns do to this entire place. Light things up a bit and turn everything into a waste…"

A waste. That may have been the proper word to describe what Koreena felt like when she fell onto the cold floor again- like a pile of rubbish. Just waste.

…

"Bring this girl some water, god dammit!

" Stephi had returned, her face blurred and twirling through kaleidoscope vision. Several other curious faces had come through the midnight. Some remarked disgust over the puddles of vomit, while some had the courage and empathy to stay. What little they could give, was a silver dish of murky water, which Koreena had vomited until her insides burned. When there was nothing left, her body convulsed with dry heaves.

"God damn," Someone had said, "Give this girl some slick or something! That's the least that I'd want…"

"Are you out of your mind? It'd be a waste of slick! She'll throw it up. Save it for someone who really needs it."

"She'll need it tomorrow, that's for sure. Grow a heart, will you? It's the least we can do."

The argument became muted when a guard shuffled through the hall. After he disappeared, the girls began to squabble again, until a solid agreement was made.

"Oh, just shut up. I'll give her some of mine tomorrow. You all are a bunch of heartless bitches."

"Bitches or not, we need to survive too, dear. It's the survival of the fittest here. This girl just managed to get lucky."

Stephi had a green vial in her hand, shaking the oil inside until the consistency smoothed, "She can't wait until tomorrow. She might die if she doesn't get some in her. It will help her eat and drink."

Tapping the vial against the flattest part of her palm, Stephi opened the top and fed the liquid into Koreena, watching her face distort at the taste. "Slick ain't pretty girl, it'll taste like seaweed. Well, that's because it is seaweed. But just let it all slide down… you'll be feeling better in no time."

That torturous night was spent in a state of euphoric delirium, which Koreena admitted by morning, she did not remember much of. She recalled a commotion of girls, something warm being draped over her… when the vile green slick slicked down her throat, she remembered wanting to vomit again. With all of her might, she had held the stuff into her stomach until a warmth bloomed from her stomach and spread. With a drained smile on her face, she drank what little water was left in the dish and received stolen crackers from a left-over dinner. Where these things had come from, she hadn't a clue. The warmth from the slick comforted her, perhaps even keeping her alive for another day.

She recalled the evening while laying directly below the stone dais, her tired eyes closed. The morning activities consisted of more music, and again strangers from all different corners of remote galaxies came out to play and eyeball the girls. Koreena could not force herself to care about the eyes that grazed her bare hips. There was nothing carnal or desirable about pain and suffering. She looked horrible. There was certainly nothing arousing about the severe bruises spotting her body and neck. Still, she was deemed worthy enough to take place once more by the dais to be presented as eye candy while Jabba enjoyed a breakfast of things that were still _alive_. He seemed to be in a good mood, his large eyes surveying the room.

Stephi sat cross legged, peering at Koreena, slightly skeptical that she was still alive.

She leaned over, whispering, "Want some Savorium? Did the slick help you last night?"

Koreena managed a frail nod, her hoarse voice asking, "What is it…?"

Stephi's fist uncurled, revealing a green ground up herb, "I ran out of slick. Savorium is a lot stronger than slick though and it won't help you in the long run. It's more of a temporary quick fix, but the high should last you a few hours."

Still sick, exhausted and feverish, Koreena held out a shaking hand to let the herb fall into her palm, "Wha… what do I do…?"

Stephi giggled, "Well, eat it. It'll dissolve on your tongue."

Koreena funneled the herb into her mouth without much thought- if it was anything like slick, she would take it. Anything to get rid of the pain and the burning of her fever and skin. The herb tasted like earth and strong cooking spices, definitely not as revolting as slick. Her tongue felt curiously asleep and heavy, as if it would take the strength of a thousand nerfs to move it. In moments, a smirk appeared on Koreena's face. It spread wider and wider- she could not stop it!

Stephi softly clapped her hands together. It was always grade A entertainment to watch the new girls try Savorium for the first time, "Looks like you're a _smiler!_ "

She did not know what a smiler was, let alone comprehend anything that Stephi has said. The perpetual, tired grin could not leave her face, as everything in the room looked and felt ridiculous and absurd. She looked at the rare faces of human men in the room, realizing that she wanted them… had she ever really wanted a man before?

Stephi clapped her hands again and again, "I forgot to mention, Savorium makes you want to fuck like Woodoos. That's why they give it to the girls on the reg. Keeps things fresh…"

Koreena hadn't heeded her words, as her eyes still danced around the room, admiring faces and finding relief in things she would have never imagined. When the word "Imperials" was hushed and exchanged through the room like a shockwave, Koreena couldn't note the change in atmosphere or sense the impending gravity of the approaching situation.

Jabba had chewed off the head of an unidentifiable creature, "Let them come! They will feast their eyes on her like everyone else has!" He found a level of enjoyment in something that Koreena could not understand.

Stephi's eyes widened at the news that flowed, "Hey. Hey? Did you hear that? They're coming for you! I don't know whether I should be jealous or feel bad…"

When Stephi shook her shoulder, she saw that Koreena was already too deep, her eyes glazed over with something incomprehensible. In response to Stephi, the small girl lay her head down against her arm, sprawling out against the floor to simply feel it's coolness. She closed her eyes lightly, watching the colors and shapes that came to fruition. She was somewhere far from Jabba's wicked hive.

She would not have it any other way.


End file.
